Music
They say third time’s the charm, not third time hits the luck, but for David Adeleke, alias Davido, that familiar adage rang hollow at the 2026 Grammys.
The Nigerian superstar, riding high off his album 5ive and a blockbuster world tour, earned a nomination for Best African Music Performance with “With You,” his smooth, summer-defining collaboration with Omah Lay. The track dominated 2025 playlists, clocking over 100 million Spotify streams and blending heartfelt lyricism with infectious, radio-ready beats.
Davido’s Grammy buzz was hard to miss. He lit up the pre-awards stage with high-energy performances, and his induction into the Recording Academy,one of 3,500 new members for the 2026 voting cycle—signaled growing institutional recognition. Still, when the envelope was opened, the trophy went to South Africa’s Tyla for “Push 2 Start,” a vibrant hit that edged out strong contenders including Burna Boy’s “Love” and Ayra Starr featuring Wizkid on “Gimme Dat.”
If Davido didn’t win the Grammy, he certainly won the numbers game. By early 2026, his Spotify monthly listeners had surged to 9.3 million, buoyed by 5ive’s global appeal. The “5ive Alive” tour proved equally dominant. In North America alone, its first three stops grossed $1.61 million from 25,600 tickets, including sellouts at New York’s Barclays Center ($552,822) and Boston’s Agganis Arena ($364,495).
Back home in Nigeria, Davido packed stadiums—30,000 fans in Uyo, 25,000 in Ibadan, and massive turnouts across cities like Adamawa and Enugu. Conservative estimates place total tour earnings above $10 million, with attendance exceeding 200,000. Beyond entertainment, the tour functioned as an economic engine, transforming arenas into hubs of commerce while fans danced to Afrobeats anthems infused with global pop flair.
Yet this Grammy moment highlights a deeper fault line within Afrobeats: the ideological rift between the genre’s activist roots and its current commercial sheen. Enter Seun Kuti, son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and leader of Egypt 80, who has repeatedly criticized what he calls “unconscious” artists,most notably Wizkid. Seun condemns musicians who borrow Fela’s aesthetics while sidestepping his radical political convictions, dismissing such comparisons as disrespectful.
Fela used music as a weapon against corruption, colonialism, and state brutality, enduring arrests and violent raids for his stance. Wizkid, by contrast, represents a sleeker, globalized era,one focused on mood, melody, and mass appeal. With 14.6 million Spotify listeners, he embodies Afrobeats’ commercial peak. Tensions escalated publicly in January 2026, when Seun accused Wizkid fans of online toxicity and Wizkid responded in kind. The spat underscored a broader critique: today’s stars often channel their energy into peer beefs rather than confronting policies and systems that suffocate everyday Nigerians.
That contrast became even starker when Fela was posthumously honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award,the first ever for an African artist. Accepted by his children Femi, Yeni, and Kunle Kuti, the award celebrated a catalog of over 50 albums that shaped political consciousness across Africa and beyond. In post-award interviews, Yeni Kuti echoed a familiar family sentiment: much of today’s Afrobeats, heavy on party hooks and light on substance, would not have aligned with Fela’s philosophy. His songs were rallying cries, not just radio fodder.
This “right mindset, wrong means” dilemma defines the current moment. Artists are outspoken about rivalries and social media disputes, yet largely silent on power outages, inflation, and governance failures affecting their fan bases. With platforms that reach tens of millions, the absence of sustained activism feels like a missed opportunity to fuse influence with impact.
The 2026 Grammys themselves offered a mixed but hopeful picture for Africa. Tyla’s win,her second in the category after her 2024 debut, boosts South African music tourism and streaming revenue, with projections of 50 million annual listeners by 2027. Nigerian-American Shaboozey’s win for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with “Amen” alongside Jelly Roll marked a genre-blending breakthrough; his streams reportedly jumped 30 percent post-win.
Burna Boy’s losses in both Best African Music Performance and Best Global Music Album,to Caetano Veloso and Maria Bethânia’s Caetano e Bethânia Ao Vivo,were disappointing, but his 23.5 million monthly listeners keep him atop Africa’s Spotify rankings. Angélique Kidjo’s nomination for Best Global Music Performance with “Jerusalema” honored legacy and longevity, even as Bad Bunny claimed the award with “EoO.”
Looking ahead, these wins could unlock serious investment. Tyla’s ascent alone may fuel new studios and infrastructure, with African music exports targeting $1 billion by 2030. But without a renewed sense of activism, Afrobeats risks fading into background noise. Davido’s tour receipts prove the genre’s commercial muscle,yet paired with Fela’s political bite, its impact could be transformative.
As Nigeria’s music market pushes past $100 million annually, the question remains: will the next generation grab the mic for more than melodies? Maybe then, third time really will be the charm,at the Grammys and beyond.